


Anniversary

by Rahenna



Series: Ace of Hearts [37]
Category: Gakuen Heaven 2 ~Double Scramble~
Genre: Anniversary, Grave Visit, Loss, M/M, Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 04:32:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7419889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rahenna/pseuds/Rahenna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One year after Nao's death, Professor Sakaki brings flowers to his grave, and finds Tomo and Yuki already there. The three share their thoughts and memories of Nao until the sun sets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

> Contains spoilers for Gakuen Heaven 2. If you intend to play the game yourself, reading this may ruin your fun a bit. :)
> 
> Originally posted here:  
> [Adults Always Lie](http://heaven.neo-romance.net/lies/)
> 
> If you want to know more about the Gakuen Heaven series, please visit my fansite for game translations and summaries:  
> [welcome to Heaven](http://heaven.neo-romance.net/)

**Saturday, March 3, 2018**

I glanced down at the message I'd typed to Asahina, wondering if it was too vague. But I didn't feel like going into detail about my task, so I made a face and hit send. 

_I have an errand to take care of after school today. If you get to the apartment before I do, let yourself in. I shouldn't be too long._

His response came back almost immediately.

_I have something to do after school too. I guess we'll both be a little late today._

~~~

The moment morning classes ended, I darted from the classroom, avoiding student questions with a brusque _not now, I'm busy_ as I pulled on my wool coat. The weather was improving as spring approached, but there was still a heavy chill in the air, especially if the day was a bit damp. Luckily, most of the morning fog had been burned away by the weak afternoon sunlight, so at least visibility wasn't going to be an issue while driving.

Less than ten minutes later, I pulled up outside the usual flower shop in the downtown area. I'd placed and paid for the order ahead of time, so all I had to do was go inside and collect the waiting bouquet of blue irises.

"Please accept this as well," the shopkeeper held out one upturned hand. A single iris flower rested in her palm, its shortened stem wrapped neatly with a green ribbon. I blinked, not understanding at first, and she held it up, gesturing toward my jacket. "I can pin it on for you."

A boutonniere, to match the bouquet. It seemed a little odd to wear one for a grave visit, but I nodded, stepping closer. Actually, Nao hadn't had any special affinity for irises until I'd selected them for his birthday bouquet, simply choosing something from the florist's recommendations of flowers that would last a long time in a vase. Since then, he'd requested them for various occasions, and had even started using blank cards with photos of irises to send thank-you messages.

"There," the florist said, giving the flower a little tug to ensure that it was firmly attached. "Today's the anniversary, isn't it? If you wear that, you'll be connected all day."

"It was yesterday, but I had to work. Well, he would understand that, I hope." I reached up to touch a petal with one finger. "It's lovely, thank you."

~~~

Ten minutes after that, I parked on the street near the cemetery entrance. The air was clear and calm, the hill overlooking the bay that separated the mainland from the school island rising above the remainder of the white fog. In fact, the fog was still so thick over the water that it was difficult to make out the details of the school as I made my way to the cemetery gate.

_I guess you haven't been able to watch over the school today..._

Geez, Nao was so sentimental, even in death. Who else would be so devoted to a school that he'd request to be buried on a hill overlooking it? Still, making an important decision simply because of a ridiculous attachment to a place of education was just the sort of thing an idealist like Nao would do. It also meant that he'd forgive me for being a day late.

_The students come first,_ he'd insisted.

_Always?_ I'd challenged.

I'd never forget how he tipped his head forward to stare at me over the top of his glasses, gaze boring into me as surely as a sharp bit into wood. _Always. Every single time._

"Well," I murmured, "you'll just have to forgive me for blowing them all off today and coming to see you instead."

As I climbed the steps to the highest point in the cemetery, a familiar voice reached my ears.

"Tomo, don't worry so much, I'm sure Nao-nii would understand that you had class and work yesterday. He wouldn't want you to be so upset about missing the actual anniversary."

_Asahina? And Nao-nii?_ I unconsciously slowed my pace, taking care not to let my feet shuffle on the stone path. There, just beyond the ancient tree that crowned the hill, stood Asahina and Kasahara, both with tear-stained cheeks. They were facing each other, and though Asahina had his back to me, I could see that he had one hand on Kasahara's shoulder, patting gently.

Kasahara noticed me first, since he was facing toward me, and he pulled away from Asahina, reaching up to scrub tears from his face. "Professor Sakaki..." His voice was strained, and his cheeks darkened as he looked down at the ground.

Asahina turned around, eyes widening. "Professor? What are you doing here... oh!" His eyes went to the bouquet that I held against my chest with one arm, then flicked over to the matching iris at the lapel of my jacket. "Flowers for Nao-nii?"

Again. So I hadn't heard wrong. "Nao-nii?"

"Oh! I guess I never told you." Asahina smiled through his tears as I approached. "Tomo and I are childhood friends, we would play in the park nearby whenever we had a chance. Nao-nii was there a lot too, so we all played together." He paused, biting his lip. "Well... Nao-nii didn't really play, since he was older, and he got tired easily. But he'd sit under a tree and read all sorts of interesting things."

My pulse quickened a bit; I'd never asked Kasahara for much information about his brother, assuming that he'd be reluctant to speak of private memories. Especially after losing his last close blood relative after being reunited only briefly, I thought it would seem callous to pry into Kasahara's personal memories and feelings so soon. And now that some time had passed, it was like the window of opportunity had already closed. Besides, Kasahara was trying so hard to integrate with his new family, I thought it would be cruel to remind him of what he had already lost.

"Kasahara," I peered around Asahina at the sullen boy, "is it alright if I leave flowers here?" There was already an arrangement of white carnations lying on the stone, and I didn't want to interfere with Kasahara's own offering.

"Yeah, please." He raised his head, smiling weakly through his tears. His eyes brightened a little as he took in the bouquet. "Oh, blue irises... you're the one who's been bringing them, Professor? I didn't realize Brother liked them so much."

"Yeah, it's me." It was my turn to stare at my feet. "Nao didn't particularly like them at first, it was just a random choice for a birthday gift once. After that, he grew fond of them, so..." I shrugged.

"Professor, you were really close to Nao-nii, weren't you? I mean, you worked together for a long time, so you must have been friends..." Asahina stopped himself, then continued in a softer tone. "Oh, but maybe it wasn't possible to be close, because of the board and stuff..."

I hadn't told Asahina anything about my relationship with Nao; there hadn't been any reason to do so, since I had no idea that he also had a connection to Kasahara's brother. "No, we were close. Of course, my official orders were to oppose his ideas and block any actions he tried to take, but I only did that at a superficial level. If I agreed with his proposals, I'd find a way to make them more realistic and push them through, making it seem like the changes were in the best interests of the board. Honestly..."

But I couldn't bring myself to say something as childish as _Nao was my best friend,_ so I let the rest of it go unsaid.

"Professor Sakaki?" I glanced up, and Kasahara was looking at me with a puzzled expression. 

"Why don't we sit down and talk for a while?" I gestured toward a pair of benches that were located under a wooden pergola that was only a few steps away from the top of the hill. Though it was open on three sides, it was covered with wisteria vines that created a sort of room that would offer some protection from the chill air. "It's better than standing here in the cold."

It was almost comical to watch Asahina's momentary hesitation once we reached the benches. I didn't have to be a mind reader to know that he was wishing he could sit beside me, but after a few moments of hesitation, he settled down beside Kasahara. "Ugh, the bench is cold," he complained, casting an envious glance at me. "I wish I had a long coat like you, Professor."

"You could always get one," Kasahara pointed out. "They're on sale now."

"Yeah, because it's the end of the season. There's no point in buying something like that now." My hand went to my pocket, but I caught myself midway, forcing it back into my lap. Damn, how long was it going to take to break the habit of reaching for a cigarette every time I had a break? Kasahara didn't notice, but I could feel Asahina's disapproving glance. I shot him a look. _Hey, it's just looking for one, it's not like I'll actually smoke. I don't even have them on me today._

"So, um," Asahina began, "can you tell me and Tomo some stories about Nao-nii? I never got to meet him again after my family moved when I was in primary school. I really wish I'd recognized his voice or something when I called the school." He leaned forward with a sigh, resting his chin on his hands. "But I guess Nao-nii didn't remember me either. I gave him my name and everything, that's how he was able to send the Platinum Paper to my house..."

Kasahara patted Asahina's back. "I'm sure Brother remembered you, Yuki. He just didn't realize that you were the same person. Hell, did we even know each other's family names back then?"

Asahina heaved another sigh, making a face. "Ugh, you're right..."

_Family names... what a bother. If our families had been able to put aside petty rivalry and work together, maybe Nao would still be here today._ I shook my head to clear away that thought, though the heavy feeling in my stomach remained. To be honest, I didn't think about Nao too much, not wanting to remember his kindness and care for everyone around him, including me. That someone so bright had been snatched from the world while someone like me, a lost soul starved for familial affection and approval, was spared - it was unacceptable.

_This isn't going to help anyone._ I motioned toward Asahina. "So why don't you tell me about your memories of Nao? Was he always a nosy brat, or did he catch that from Suzubishi?"

"Nao-nii wasn't a brat!" Of course Asahina would automatically leap to someone's defense; good, because his enthusiasm was a distraction from my darker thoughts. "He was really smart and patient and gentle, always reading an interesting book, and he didn't mind taking time to explain things to me. Well, I didn't really get most of it, but I could understand that there were some amazing things out there. He was always reading about nature and space and stuff like that."

"And we'd all play games together," Kasahara added. "Just simple card games that were easy enough for kids to enjoy, but Brother didn't seem to mind that they were kind of boring for him. He did like to play tricks on us sometimes, though... Yuki, remember the time he made your toy car disappear? I really thought you were going to cry."

Asahina's face turned red. "U, ugh, Tomo, don't say embarrassing stuff like that in front of Professor Sakaki..."

I chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Asahina. You were just a kid."

"A, anyway," Asahina pouted at Kasahara, "there were sooo many times that I won a card game, and you got mad and ran around kicking the ball until you calmed down!"

It was Kasahara's turn to blush. "Yuki, I did not!"

"Yes you did! There was even that time you flipped over the game board because you were losing!"

I stifled a laugh; I could easily imagine Asahina doing something so childish, but I'd always pictured Kasahara as a serious and levelheaded boy. "So you're a bit of a hothead, Kasahara? Try channeling some of that during the next board meeting. I'll back you up."

"Professor, I really didn't do that..."

"Sure, sure," I dismissed his protests with a wave of my hand. "Actually, that makes you a bit more like your brother. Nao was usually very good about keeping his head during board meetings, no matter how stupid the complaints got, but there was one time he completely lost it." I closed my eyes, remembering the scene. God, that had been a satisfying afternoon.

"Aww, Professor, tell us, tell us!" Asahina pleaded.

"I'm just trying to think of where to start... it's a long story, but I guess all that matters was that Nao was having one of _those_ days, where everything goes wrong. Nothing catastrophic, really, but all sorts of little things that add up to a massive explosion. The cafeteria was out of decaf coffee, the internet went down for a few hours, several teachers were absent due to illness, a package he was waiting for wasn't delivered on time, his secretary ordered the wrong notebooks, it was all trivial problems like that." 

A faint smile came to my lips as I remembered just how irritated Nao had been, almost literally stomping around his office by the time classes were over for the day. Most days, it was easy to forget that Nao was barely older than the students he watched over, but that day, he'd been a complete brat. "Oh, and I think one of his new medications had a weird side effect that made everything taste a little off, and he'd been really looking forward to Sonoda's lunch that day."

"Ugh," Asahina made a face, "that would make me really depressed too..."

I nodded. "Nao was incredibly disappointed by that. I don't remember exactly what happened in the afternoon, but by the time we got to the board meeting that evening, he was at his limit. He would usually ignore stupid questions or rude comments, but he had a snappy response for everything. Honestly, it was refreshing - the other board members didn't know how to deal with his sudden change in mood, so they were less resistant than usual."

"Well," Kasahara cut in, "Brother was always really even-tempered, but if he got pushed too far, then he'd go into mama bear mode. I bet that's what happened."

"Whatever it was, it was extremely effective. We got through half of the agenda in about twenty minutes, which, as you know, was nothing short of a miracle. All that remained was a short budget presentation to highlight proposed club spending for the upcoming semester. Well, Nao told the person presenting to hurry up, so of course there was a little accident..."

"Did someone get hurt?" Asahina looked concerned.

"No physical injury, just a bit of wounded pride." I shook my head, a bitter smile surfacing as I remembered my misfortune. "There's always bottled water available at those meetings, so no one dries out while waiting for the hellish things to end. While the presenter was shuffling through his papers, he knocked over an open bottle and it spilled everywhere. He managed to rescue the papers, but most of the water ended up in his lap..."

"Oops," Asahina laughed. "I've done stuff like that before..."

"Not in the middle of a serious board meeting, though," I sighed. "The presenter couldn't do anything about it, so he got up and went to the front of the room with a huge wet spot on the front of his pants. And that's when Nao completely lost it."

My memory of his amused cry was still vivid in my memory. _Haha, you look like you pissed yourself!_

I fought back an amused snort and continued, "Of course he had to point out the unfortunate location of the spill. To borrow a cliche, after Nao's outburst, the room was so quiet you honestly could have heard a pin drop. And then he started giggling. Do you have any idea how jarring a sound like that is in a room full of stuffy old businessmen? He sounded like a little girl who'd eaten too much sugar." It was impossible to keep the grin from my face. "After that outburst, a few of the other guys began to crack, though they actually made an effort to stifle their laughter. Even the presenter had to laugh at himself a little."

Asahina covered his mouth to stifle a giggle, but Kasahara didn't bother hiding his smirk. "Professor Sakaki, please stop pretending that the presenter was someone else. It was you."

I sighed, cheeks warming a little, but I was smiling. "Fine, it was me," I admitted, "and to be honest, I didn't mind all that much. After watching Nao get frustrated by everything that day, if all it took was a bit of wounded pride to make him feel better, I was okay with making that sacrifice."

"So what happened to the meeting?" Asahina asked, still laughing.

"We had to take a break so everyone could get it out of their system. Or rather, the break was just long enough for me to go back to my room and change. After that, the meeting went on as usual, but with less resistance to the budget proposals than we'd anticipated." I glanced at Kasahara. "Maybe humor is a valid strategy for dealing with those stuffy old guys."

"Heh, are you volunteering for a repeat performance, Professor?"

"No thanks. Besides, most of the board members are still the same - they won't appreciate it quite as much the second time."

"Too bad," Kasahara sighed, smiling fondly. "Wow, so Brother was still like that even as an adult..."

"Hmm," Asahina sounded doubtful, "but I remember Nao-nii being so serious..."

"Pft, Brother was serious around other people, but he was always messing with me. He loved playing practical jokes on me and the adults at the orphanage, but he was always extra nice to the other kids. I'm sure he realized that their feelings were kind of fragile..."

Kasahara was silent for a few moments, his expression distant as if remembering something that he couldn't put into words. An unpleasant memory of his time at the institution, or just longing for a lost sibling who had doubled as a parent. Asahina reacted instinctively to his friend's discomfort while I was still trying to choose the appropriate words for a response. He turned toward Kasahara, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Tomo," his murmur was barely loud enough for me to hear, "I'm sure Nao-nii is watching you."

Kasahara nodded, twisting around to return the embrace, hiding his face against Asahina's shoulder. His shoulders trembled, and I turned my gaze away, vaguely guilty for intruding on their private moment. Still, I felt a bit lighter, more at ease, not just because I'd been able to share an amusing story with Kasahara, but because of the proof of Asahina's relationship with him. 

For a long time, I'd worried about Asahina's near-obsession with me, his insistence on spending every weekend with me. I'd thought that it would affect his relationships with his friends, but that didn't seem to be the case. Every time I saw Asahina with the other students, they were always smiling and laughing, enjoying their school life and friendships. My presence hadn't diminished the brilliance of Asahina's personality; rather, it seemed that he burned brighter with each passing week, the radiance of his happiness growing stronger every day.

_You really are special, Asahina._

Kasahara pulled away from the embrace first, reaching up to brush moisture from his eyes. "Thank you, Yuki." He glanced at me. "Sorry, Professor..."

"Don't apologize, Kasahara... I'm sure Nao is happy to be remembered so fondly, and missed so dearly." I closed my eyes and let out a quiet sigh. "The world is cruel."

"Professor?"

"Treasure your friendships, Asahina. Enjoy every moment you have with them. Well, as a student at a boarding school, that's relatively easy for you. Take full advantage, both of you."

"Yes, I will," Kasahara nodded.

"Yeah! I'm sure that's what Nao-nii would want too." Asahina leaned against Kasahara with a smile.

"That's right. Nao's vision for the school and the students extended far beyond academics and club activities. Since you're lucky enough to be here, don't waste your opportunities."

Asahina looked directly into my eyes. "You too, Professor. Be happy at the school, and outside it too."

"Geez, are you lecturing me now too? It's bad enough that Kasahara pesters me during meetings..."

"Hey, it's not pestering, it's genuine concern!

"Right, right. Anyway, why don't you two tell me a story about Nao? He never really spoke about his life before he was adopted by Suzubishi, so I have no idea what he was like when he was around your age." The memory of one of our last chats on the roof of the school building drifted to the forefront of my mind, when he'd been sick and insisting it was just a cold. "I didn't even know he had a brother until early last year. It seems like he was hiding all sorts of things that were too difficult to remember, but there must have been some fond memories as well."

"How about the story of how we all met, Tomo?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Well, the orphanage is near a park, so we played there often..."

The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon sharing stories about the time we'd spent with Nao, happy memories along with devastating ones, and there were times that both boys had to pause and wipe tears from their eyes. Even I felt the sting of tears a few times as Kasahara talked about Nao's illness and the limitations it forced on him. Eventually it grew dark outside, and the cold breeze was too much for the meager shelter to keep out. It was time to go home.

As we reached the gate, Asahina piped up. "Hey, since it's time to eat, why don't we all go to my dad's bakery? It's not far from here. Professor Sakaki, you could meet my parents!"

My heart lurched. _Asahina, how much of an idiot are you?! Do you want me to be murdered?_

Somehow I kept my tone even as I replied, "No, I don't think so. However, I'd be happy to give you two a ride so you don't have to walk in the dark." I pulled my keys from my pocket and unlocked the doors. "Come on, get in the back, you two."

"Aww, that's such a waste! My dad makes the best yakisoba buns, and the pizza buns are great too! You should at least get some to take home with you!"

"No, Asahina, I don't eat stuff like that. I don't have the metabolism of a teenage boy, and especially not one that's an athlete." I glanced at Kasahara. "And I'm not interested in intruding on your private time. I'm sure your parents would like to catch up with Kasahara a little, you did say that it's been several months since the last visit."

_And you need to spend time with your family too, Asahina._

"Well, that's true," Kasahara agreed. "I've been so busy with my extra lessons and stuff like that, I haven't had a chance to visit Yuki's house in a while..."

"Exactly. Now get in the car, I don't feel like standing out here making idle chit-chat in the cold."

"Riiight," Asahina sighed, moving around to the passenger side door as usual. 

My stomach flip-flopped. "Asahina, I'm not letting you sit in the front, get in the back with Kasahara."

"O, oh! Sorry!"

_And that's exactly why I'm not going anywhere near your parents._

It only took a few moments for everyone to settle in, and we headed out in the direction of the station, with Asahina giving directions while Kasahara sat quietly in the backseat. I glanced in the rearview mirror, concerned, but he was watching Asahina's animated explanation with a soft smile.

_This afternoon did you a world of good, Kasahara. I haven't seen you so relaxed in a long time._

I turned my eyes back to the road, and we disappeared into the night.

~ end ~


End file.
